Episode 380: American Flannel with Steven Kurutz

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 39.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2024

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does it take to make a traditional flannel shirt in America? According to this New York Times reporter it’s a combination of engineering and artistry. And Steven should know; he wrote the book on it, American Flannel. Steven explores with us the history of U.S. textile manufacturing and how our thirst for cheaper goods led to the death of small company towns and the creation of the rust belt.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This book is called American Flannel. You know why? Because the shirt I'm
0:09.4	wearing is flannel made in America by our friends at American Giant.
0:17.0	See what I did there, Chuck?
0:18.0	The part that doesn't make sense is if I'm listening to this right now, I didn't see the book, I don't see the shirt.
0:23.8	You could be naked for all I know.
0:25.1	Yeah.
0:26.1	But I'm going to post this on the Facebook, the video, so people will see it.
0:30.9	See what I'm thinking?
0:32.1	Right.
0:33.0	Now if you are listening to this, right now you don't see me pointing to my head the way people do
0:38.1	when they have a good idea and you don't see the flannel shirt that I'm wearing to Chuck's point and that's got to be
0:43.8	very frustrating for you very and look vexing and look it's my fault here you are
0:49.8	listening to a podcast and the guy who's hosting it is talking to you as though
0:55.3	you're watching it. I understand the world's not perfect but that's really the
0:59.9	subject of this entire hour, the imperfections in this world as manifested by and within
1:10.0	our relationship to the business of making our clothing.
1:14.3	It's a problem, my friends.
1:16.4	It's an enormous problem.
1:18.1	How enormous you say?
1:19.3	Well, how about this?
1:20.5	In 1980, 70% of all of the clothing worn by Americans was made in this country by Americans.
1:30.0	Today, that number is 2% 2% Mike 2% percent percent
	...

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